The seventh border crossing to Shenzhen will open by 2018 to further boost ties with the mainland city, the development chief said.

Construction of the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai crossing, between the Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok crossings in northeastern Hong Kong, would start in 2013, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said.

It will be connected to the Eastern Corridor in Shenzhen to provide better access to the eastern part of Shenzhen, as well as to Huizhou .

Lam said the design of the Hong Kong side of the crossing would cater for passengers journeying to the Shenzhen side on foot or by public or private transport. It would have a pedestrian subway and access for private cars and buses.

She was speaking at a ceremony to present awards to the winners of a competition to design the crossing's passenger terminal. The two governments will make reference to the three winning entries from design professionals when designing the facility.

Making the terminal more accessible would increase costs by around HK$450 million, she said. The project's final cost is not yet known.

'We will try our best to finish it as soon as we can ... but we will have to reclaim land and relocate an indigenous village - Chuk Yuen village - before we can begin work on the passenger terminal building,' she said. 'These two tasks take time.'

The crossing is one of seven joint projects between Guangdong , Hong Kong and Macau under the 12th five-year plan for 2011 to 2015.

The winning entry was 'Fluid Light Stripes' by Hong Kong duo Daniel Santos and Andy Chang Wai-shing. The first runner-up was 'Copper-Zinc Knot' by Gao Hongbo and Wu Lidong from Shenzhen. Another Hong Kong team, comprising Chan Kin-kwok, Christopher Wong Chin-keung and Simon Ng Man-hoi, took second runner-up with their entry called 'A Fragrant Nature Walk'.

The winning entries will be displayed in a touring exhibition in Hong Kong and Shenzhen from today until the end of next month. Admission is free. Visit www.lthywbcp-design.hk for details.